Method and apparatus for identifying ammunition



Nov, 29, 1927;

Filed Sept. 5. 1924 Patented Nov. 29, 1927.

UNITED STATES GEORGE RAMSEY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IDENTIFYING AMMUNITION.

Application filed September 3, 1924. Serial No. 735,553.

The present invention relates broadly to ammunition and more specifically to the method and means for identifying parts of the same after it has been fired.

Ammunition for small arms is frequently used by unauthorized persons or unresponsible persons or others for criminal purposes, and criminologists then attempt to identify the projectile or the shell from which the projectile has been fired by trying to find impressed upon either the projectile or the shell some accidental individual characteristic of the gun or pistol from which the ammunition was fired. I r

The present invention facilitates the identification of the particular projectile or shell by providing specified identification marks by which the ammunition may be registered, and which is so constructed that identlt'ymg marks may either be impressed by the firing of the ammunition or be an assembled part of the ammunition, so that identity of the person firing the ammunition may be easily ascertained, by tracing the identified ammunition.

The present invention may be embodied in forms other than those herein specifically disclosed, which are merely. illustrative, but in a broad sense, it comprises assembling the ammunition with marked parts, for example, suitable identifying numbers on the bullet or suitable identifyingnumbers on small thin discs of material which will be scattered to the four winds when the ammunition is fired, then imposing the same marlo ing upon the box in which the ammunition 'is packed. The box may be registered as to the buyer by the manufacturer of the am munition, and then by the retailer to the re tail buyer who purchases. the individual box, and thus the ammunition may be traced when used.

In one form of the present invention, all

of the ammunition in one box, for example, fifty shells, shall be marked with the same identifying number so that any one of these fifty shells, when fired will project either a marked bullet of a designated number or a marked wad of a large quantity of numbered sheets of material, all of which bear the same designating number, which sheets will scatter when the ammunition is fired. This designating number is the same for all the fifty cartridges in the box.

Another feature ofthe present invent-ion is the impression upon the she'll of the number of the pistol or gun from which the shell is fired. This may be accomplished by providing suitable marking means carried by the gun or pistol and so positioned that the gas pressure produced by firing the ammunitlon causes the shell to be forcibly brought into contact with the designating numbers which are impressed on some portion of the shell.

Referring now to the drawings which displose preferred embodiments of the invenion;

Fig. 1 illustrates a bullet with the designifitmg number impressed on the base there- 0 Fig. 2 is a compact wad of sheets of material, each sheet of which bears a common designating number;

Fig. 3 illustrates the Wad shown in Fig. 2 broken into its separatesheets as it will be when the ammunition is fired;

Fig. 4 illustrates a jacketed bullet with the designating number on the rim of the jacket at the base of the bullet;

Fig. 5 is a partial cross-section through a cartridge loaded with a designating wad, shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 illustrates a bullet with a depressed groove or band in which the designating members are impressed sufficiently deep to prevent the numbers being cut away by the rifiing when the ammunition is fired;

Fig. 7 illustrates a cartridge box filled with designated cartridges;

Fig. 8 is a section through a portion of the frame ofa piston or revolver showing matrix numbers so arranged that these numbers will be impressed on the base of a shell fired in this pistol;

Fig. 9 is a detailed sectional view illustrating the construction in Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged view of a designating number disc or ring adapted to be set in the frame of a gun or pistol;

Fig. -11 illustrates a shell of a cartridge which has been fired in a gun equipped with the designating matrix numbers arranged as shown in Figs. 8 to 10;

ins

Fig. 14 illustrates a shell of a cartridge fired in a chamber such as shown in Fig. 15.

The present invention comprising the individual marking of the elements of a cartridge, and includes a method which may be carried out during the loading of the am munit-ion so that as the bullets are to be fed to the shells by markings are impressed on the bullets and a similar mark may be impressed on the box in which a predetermined number of such marked bullet cartridges are to be packed.

In Fig. 1, the bullet 1 is 'marked by impressing the numerals 2 on the base of. the

bullet and a filler line 4 fills the remaining space to indicate the absence-0t higher numbers.

designating numerals 2 and fillerline 4, and,

these sheetsare loosely assembled and prefcrably set in the loaded cartridge 7 between the powder Sand thebullet 1 so that when the shell is fired, as in arevolver 9, Fig. 12, the individual sheets will be so scattered about that it would be difficult for one firing the ammunition tov find and pickup all of the sheets, thereby leaving evidence of the fact that a particular designated cartridge was fired at that spot, and if the number of the cartridge was registered by-the dealers,

theperson who boughtthe cartridge may be easily ascertained. 4 .Fig. 7 illustrates a filled cartridge box 10 I which bears a number 11 indicating the numher of loaded cartridges in the box and also the designating numeral 2 which designates the characteristic marking'of every shell in the box, so that when each cartridge in the boxtis fired, the bullet may bear the same designating number and also where desired. designating wads of sheets will also carry the same designating number as that on the arts. v Fig. 6 illustrates a bullet 1' provided with I a groove 12 with the designating number 2 impressed on the base of the groove. Thisgroove is of suflicient depth so that the designating number will notbe destroyed by the rifling in the barrel of the pistol .or gun.

Figs. 8 to 14.- illustrate constructions where-' by the shell of a cartridge fired in a pistol or gun is automatically marked during the firing operation to indicate the particular pistol from which the cartridge was fired, and preferably, the designation comprises the serial number of the pistol or gun. This designation may be obtained in various a loading machine suitable In Fig. 4, the jacketed bullet?) is' shown with designating numerals 2 and the- Y -Having thus described -ways, but preferably comprises mounting the gun or pistol. This may be accomplished in one form by providing a disc or ring 14- on which matrix numbers 15 stand in relief, and this disc 14 may be provided with an opening 16 for the firing pin 17 of the weapon. This disc 14 is adapted to be set into the frame 18 directly back of the head of the cartridge so that the cartridge is supported by the disc and the matrix numbers thereon when gas pressures develop during the firing of the cartridge. lVhen the'eartridge is fired, the force of the explosion impresses the matrix numbers on the head 19 of the shell thereby impressing the serial number 20 of the gun or pistol on the head of the shell. i

In Figs. 13 and 14 are illustrated an arrangementwhereby the marking of the-shell occurs on the side thereof and in this form, the firing chamber of the barrel 21 of the gun is provided with a sleeve 22 on which are arranged matrix numbers .15 preferably comprising the serial number of the pistol or gun and when the cartridge is fired, this number is impressed as at 24 on the side of the shell, so that any shell fired in this par- .ticular weapon will bear that designating numeral. This form may be especially useful inconnection with automatic pistols or guns which may use ammunition which bears the makers name on the head ofthe cartridge. By this form of the invention where the number or designating. character is'impressed on the side of the shell, it leaves 'a' mark which. is not interfered with by ammunition maker's designations such as are usually provided onthe heads ofce'ntral fire cartridges.

Furthermore,'this invention may have a further utility by being used to imp'ressthe name of..the gun maker upon each shellfired. This has the advertising value of scattering parts of used ammunition, each of which is marked with the name of the maker ofthe. gun used.

my invention, what I claim is:-

1. The method of rendering parts of ammunition easy of identification after use, which comprises impressing an identifying mark upon such parts'when the ammunition is fired.-

' 2. The method of rendering parts of am-' munition' easy of identification after use, which comprises impressin a serial number upon such parts during the firing of the ammunition.

3. The method of rendering parts of ammunition easy of identification after use, which comprises rendering identifying figures on such parts effective for identification by the firing of the ammunition.

4:. The method of rendering parts of ammunition easy of identification after use, which comprises automatically impressing upon such parts, at the time of firing of the ammunition, identifying figures characteristic of the firearm in which the ammunition is fired.

5. The method of rendering parts of ammunition easy of identification after use, which comprises utilizing the explosive pressure of the ammunition to effect the impression of an identifying mark upon a part of said ammunition.

6. The method of rendering easy the identification of the firearm from which ammunition was discharged, which comprises utilizing the explosive pressure of the ammunition to effect the impression of a serial number of the firearm employed upon an element of the ammunition discharged.

7 In a cartridge for firearms, an element for identifying the cartridge after firing, said element carrying a series of identifying figures and a filler ,line at each end of the series to indicate the absence of additional figures in the series.

8. In a cartridge for firearms, an element for identifying the cartridge after firing, said element carrying a series of identifying figures and means at each end of the series to indicate the absence of additional figures in the series.

9. In a cartridge for firearms, a laminated wad for identifying the cartridge after firing, the various laminae of the wad carrying common identification numerals and a filler line to indicate the absence of additional numerals in each series.

10. A firearm comprising means to impress an identifying mark upon ammunition fired therein.

11. A firearm comprising means to impress serial number upon ammunition fired therein.

12. A firearm comprising an explosion chamber having a marking portion on the wall thereof, said marking portion bein adapted to impress an identifying mar upon a shell exploded in said chamber.

13. A firearm comprising an explosion chamber having raised numerals on the wall thereof, whereby when a shell is exploded it is pressed against the raised numerals and receives an identifying mark.

14. The method of identifying discharged small arm ammunition which comprises providing identif ing means, and utilizing the explosion of t e ammunition to render the identifying means effective.

15. The method of identifying discharged small arm ammunition which comprises, providing identifying means, and utilizing the gas pressure of the explosion of the ammunition to render the identification visible.

16. The method of identif ing discharged ammunition with the gun ring the same, which method comprises providing identifying means on the gun so located as to cause a permanent identification mark to be imposed on a part of the ammunition when the same is fired in such gun.

17. The method of identifying cartridge ammunition' comprising markin a portion of the projected charge with visible serial markings, packing the marked portion within the shell of the cartridge to render the same inaccessible without disassembly of the cartridge, and keeping a record of the disposition of the serially marked ammunition.

18. In an ammunition cartridge, the confbination of a shell, an explosive charge, a charge adapted to be projected from the shell and comprising numerous small light weight members placed within the shell, each member bearing the same visible serial designating mark, said mark being one of a series of recorded marks so that any one of said members so identifies said cartridge as to enable the history of the same to be traced.

GEORGE RAMSEY. 

